Dugout Discussion
8 March 2017 3607 comments
Paul Paul
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The first double Gameweek of 2016/17 comes to its conclusion at the Etihad tonight as Manchester City take on Stoke City at 8pm.

Pep Guardiola’s decision to rotate has hit owners of Raheem Sterling hard – the winger has been rested for tonight’s match and fails to even make the bench.

It’s a bitter blow for the 338,000+ managers who drafted Sterling in for the double – they’re left with six points in Gameweek 27 after he provided the assist for Sergio Aguero’s opener at Sunderland.

There’s no concerns over Aguero, though, as he leads the line once again.

Handed the armband by 12.6% of Fantasy Premier League managers and Triple Captained by over 159,000, the Argentine has produced two goals and an assist in each of his previous two home appearances.

Leroy Sane also retains his role in Pep’s XI. The German is currently City’s top scoring player of the Gameweek after notching the second at the Stadium of Light to return a ten-point haul.

Those holding David Silva and John Stones are left frustrated as the duo drop to the bench, with Kevin De Bruyne returning to the teamsheet after a stint as a sub away to the Black Cats. A big performance would go some way to vindicating the decision of 6,937 FPL managers to play their Triple Captain chip on the Belgian.

After delivering a third clean sheet in four, City’s prospects of more defensive returns were handed a boost after Marko Arnautovic failed to recover from the illness that forced him off against Middlesbrough at the weekend.

The Austrian is currently the top scoring double Gameweek 27 player after bagging both goals in the 2-0 win over Aitor Karanka’s side.

Up top, Peter Crouch’s appeal as a budget third striker now seems far from secure – the target man’s run of ten league starts comes to an end as he drops to the bench, with new boy Saido Berahino handed a first start.

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  1. BALOOO
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 1 month ago

    Barca is not Arsenal, ofc they gonna do this.

  2. Unbowed Unbent N'Golo
    • 9 Years
    9 years, 1 month ago

    Wonder what Sanchez is thinking watching his old team fight back from a 4 goal deficit.

  3. F4L
    • 11 Years
    9 years, 1 month ago

    Post Cavani omg

  4. Jay_
      9 years, 1 month ago

      Cavani post. Great drama.

    • Cpt Crunch Scott talent
      • 12 Years
      9 years, 1 month ago

      Cavani post

    • diesel001
      • 9 Years
      9 years, 1 month ago

      Di Maria coming on. Good news

    • Ógie
      • Fantasy Football Scout Member
      • 13 Years
      9 years, 1 month ago

      Sickening missing a great champions league game to watch this borefest

      1. diesel001
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Watch Barca then

      2. Jay_
          9 years, 1 month ago

          Amazing atmosphere. It's like one of those Argentine games. Such a difference from Ethiad

      3. Bruno Bruno!!
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Stoke looked like a tony pulis team in that first half

        1. Smurf
          • Fantasy Football Scout Member
          • 16 Years
          9 years, 1 month ago

          No they didn't.

          They actually had a decent amount of the ball and were attacking as much as City.

          1. Ephurion
            • 9 Years
            9 years, 1 month ago

            1/3 of the time is decent, ye? 😛

        2. Rainer
          • 9 Years
          9 years, 1 month ago

          Do you watch the game or just the clock? They held their own!

      4. Cpt Crunch Scott talent
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Angel di Maria coming on

      5. Sim Simma
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Cavani should have put a stamp on it

        1. Rainer
          • 9 Years
          9 years, 1 month ago

          Not with their price hike he won't!

      6. Sim Simma
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Etihad is a bit empty

        1. Ha.
          • 10 Years
          9 years, 1 month ago

          Nah, just lots of people wearing sky blue

      7. Hybrid.power
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Please aguero. Please.

        1. diesel001
          • 9 Years
          9 years, 1 month ago

          Bit desperate?

          1. Hybrid.power
            • Fantasy Football Scout Member
            • 16 Years
            9 years, 1 month ago

            Of course I am. My rival is pulling away even more tonight with a stoke clean sheet!

      8. It’s gonna Ben Mee
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Imagine this being the night when Pep goes "F this I'm going 4-4-2"

      9. Adam West - Team Serbia for…
        • 15 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Typical Barca beating the poor teams like PSG comfortably but put them up against Stoke ...

      10. Sim Simma
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Take off Toure, bring Silva

      11. Totally !rre!evant
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Silva warming up. Get him on Pep!

      12. It’s gonna Ben Mee
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Silva warming up

        1. Sonny “The Hitman&rdq…
          • 9 Years
          9 years, 1 month ago

          Stick it right on Aguero's head Silva!

          1. Sonny “The Hitman&rdq…
            • 9 Years
            9 years, 1 month ago

            Wait...

      13. F4L
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Aguero, one , plz, just one my friend

      14. Sonny “The Hitman&rdq…
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Too 2 in my ML TCed Sterling- so with Kun's second half brace I am closing fast

        1. Ha.
          • 10 Years
          9 years, 1 month ago

          Yeh, about that...

          1. Sonny “The Hitman&rdq…
            • 9 Years
            9 years, 1 month ago

            No you didn't Ha!

      15. TorresMagic™
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • Has Moderation Rights
        • 16 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Dortmund leading

        1. F4L
          • 11 Years
          9 years, 1 month ago

          Aubbbbbaaaa

      16. Sim Simma
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Has Walters even touched the ball in the whole game ?

      17. Jakarta
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Should have triple captained Grant

      18. Forza Papac
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Dortmund 3-0

      19. Rainer
        • 9 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Too much Football on 🙂

      20. Club de Wahlina
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Hey, please give me some advise what to do with my team.

        Cech-Jaku
        Pieters-Fuenes Mori-Williams-Gibson-Brunt
        Sigurdson-Firmino-Fletcher-Phillips-Pedro
        Kaku-Aguero-Ibra

        0.0 ITB, 1 FT

        Kane instead of Ibra now already?
        Aguero to Llorente, and Phillips to Mané?
        I have no idea.
        50 points after the no. 1 in my ML, 20 points to no. 2.

        Thanks

      21. F4L
        • 11 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        When scoutcast starts this gonna be mayhem

      22. Shultan
        • 10 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Why are you guys watching the city game when the barca match is on?

        1. Unbowed Unbent N'Golo
          • 9 Years
          9 years, 1 month ago

          Prem

      23. Je suis le chat
        • 12 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        I've activated my reality distortion field to trigger a Kun second half goal and assist (not being too greedy!).

      24. Sim Simma
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 15 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        40 min Aguero, 40 min

        1. fedolefan
          • 11 Years
          9 years, 1 month ago

          5 mins gone already?

      25. Hybrid.power
        • Fantasy Football Scout Member
        • 16 Years
        9 years, 1 month ago

        Barca will score again

        1. Ha.
          • 10 Years
          9 years, 1 month ago

          * City

          ** for the first time